


Steam Punk

by WritingToKeepMySanity



Series: Punk (Newsies) Will Never Die [2]
Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, Jack and Kath are really cute sue me, Shopping, and Jack now has a nose ring so there's that, punk!jack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-06
Updated: 2018-07-06
Packaged: 2019-06-06 11:35:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15193919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WritingToKeepMySanity/pseuds/WritingToKeepMySanity
Summary: The definition of steampunk is brought into question and Kath tries to prove she's Punk too.





	Steam Punk

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tuppenny](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tuppenny/gifts).



> For Claire. Fluffy fluff for you as you finish your dissertation <3

"So... What are we looking for, again?" Katherine asked as they entered the thrift store.

Jack had shown up at her dorm an hour ago, requesting her help finding a present for Race. She'd gone with him, despite not knowing Race long enough to actually know him well enough to pick a present for him, and they’d been thrift store-hopping since.

He shrugged. "Somethin' colorful. Maybe some patches f'r his jacket, these places have some sometimes. He's pretty big on aesthetic an' shit, but s'long as it's bright or rainbow, he's happy."

She nodded slowly. "Colorful, bright, rainbow..." _That’s Race, alright._

They wandered through the store a bit, picking through the haphazard piles of objects, examining anything that popped out at them, anything bright or colorful, like Jack said.

Katherine stopped by a little display of glasses and sunglasses, picking up a pair of round, Lennon-esque glasses and slipped them on. "What do you think? Kinda steampunk-ish, yeah?" she asked, pushing her lips out in an exaggerated pout that made him laugh.

"What, ya think ya c'n be punk, now?" he asked teasingly, tugging on the end of her braid.

Katherine peered over the glasses at him. "You don't think I can?" she challenged.

"Red, ya a lotta things, but punk ain't one'a them."

"I could be!" she insisted. "I get a... a leather jacket, and a pair of combat boots and—"

"It's not just 'bout how ya dressed," Jack said. "Ya too muchuva good girl, Red."

"I’m not as good as you think," Katherine tried, unconvincingly, apparently, because Jack snorted. "What?" she shoved his arm.

Holding his hands up in surrender, Jack placated. "Okay, what's the worst thing ya done?"

"I..." she scrambled for an answer. "Oh! I ran away from home when I was thirteen, convinced I was going to live in the library." 

He patted his chest. "Six times. Spotty eleven, Race once or twice."

Katherine huffed, sticking her lip out again, thinking. "Okay, I've illegally downloaded music on my laptop."

"Who hasn't?"

"You're making this very difficult, Jack Francis Kelly," she said, crossing her arms.

He smirked at her. "Ooh, middle-namin' me, that's real punk—"

"Oh!" Katherine grinned triumphantly. "Once, my subway pass wasn't working, so I hopped the turnstile."

She thought he would rebuff her again, but he cracked a grin, shaking his head. "Alright, Pul'tzer. Ya def'nitely punk."

"Ha! I told you!" She bounced a little at that and he shook his head at her, amused. Sliding the glasses off her nose, Katherine offered them to him. "Here, you try." Jack allowed her to perch the glasses on his nose and she took a step back to admire them. "Oh, yeah. Very steampunk."

"Well, we already knew I was a steamy punk, Red, nothin' new there." He laughed as she shoved him again. "What?" Jack asked, pushing the glasses up on his head. "Ya denyin' 'm hot?"

Katherine rolled her eyes, tugging him back towards her by the edges of his jacket. "Never," she said. "Can't deny what's right in front of me, can I?"

Fisting the lapels in his jacket, she used the height advantage of her own boots to simply lean forward and kiss him. Jack slid one hand around her waist, the other cupping her cheek. The cool metal of the stud in his nose pressed into her cheek, a now-familiar sensation when kissing Jack Kelly, and Katherine sighed, content.

An impatient "a _hem_ " behind them broke them apart, Katherine blushing as an older woman tapped her foot until they moved to the side. Jack laughed, plucking the glasses off his head and setting them back on the display.

"Ya face's as red as ya hair there, Kath."

She swatted at him and took his hand, pulling him to the other side of the store. "Come on, my steamy punk," she teased. "We still have to find Race a present."

 

*~*~*~*~*

 

The next day, she went back to her dorm after work to find the glasses she'd picked up yesterday, folded on top of her stack of books, a folded note underneath them.

Smiling a little, Katherine picked up the glasses and note, curling up on her bed with them. Her roommate was still out, so she didn't have to hide the silly grin on her face as she read Jack's scribbled note.

_ain't nothin wrong being Red, but if you gotta be punk to, knock ~~yurself~~ yourself out._

**Author's Note:**

> y'all Punk Jack owns my _soul_
> 
> this series is not in order, by the way (this one probably takes place about six-ish months after the first story) I'm just excited to write Punk Jack and we'll see what comes out of it ;)
> 
> I'd love to know what you think!!
> 
> Comments, concerns, and critiques welcome. Peace, love, and sanity!


End file.
